Gut Singer und ein Organist

Leonhard Lechner’s Gut Singer und ein Organist is a secular German madrigal for three voices (STB). The text celebrates the joyful conviviality of good singers and organists, especially in a setting of cheerful drinking and merriment. It suggests that a good glass of wine aids the playing of the clavichord and that where wine is lacking, the bagpipes seldom sound. The composer humorously likens a singer's need for wine to a carter’s need to grease his wagon for a long journey, implying that a singer is not much good unless he washes his collar with good wine. The piece is a lively and witty reflection on the pleasures of music and good company, perhaps suitable for a convivial gathering or a lighter moment in a concert programme.